It occurred to me the other day that there hasn’t been much to write about in my little beekeeping world: no lids blown off, no dead-outs, no colonies drowned in the recent flooding.  It may all change tomorrow, but for today, I am very grateful for concrete blocks, ratchet straps, high spots in the field, and good ventilation.

These colonies appear to have found some of the better spots in the orchard.  (The large bin in the foreground is a structure for growing black soldier fly larvae–a story for another day!)  These hives are the only ones that I have wrapped so far this winter; the cold air tends to settle in this low spot so they need all the solar gain I can arrange.  All my other hives are better situated in broad fields or on south-facing hillsides.

These two colonies were moved just before the water got too high to work comfortably.  The flooding turned out to be relatively moderate.  These hives should now be able to handle at least another 12″ before they get their feet wet, and because they are top-ventilated, they would even tolerate water up to the bottom of the upper box for a short period without causing permanent damage to the colony.  (Yes, I learned that the hard way.)

Wishing you all uneventful winter beekeeping!